Top 10 Water-based LubesThese Lubes Make It Easy to Insert a Menstrual Cup

Even if you’ve never used a personal lubricant for intercourse (and even if you have), you may want to purchase some to use with your menstrual cup. When you use the right kind of lubricant, it’s easier to insert the cup. A lubed-up menstrual cup means you don’t need to worry that the rubber or silicone material will rub uncomfortably, creating pesky resistance or even pain. Of course, if you have the lubricant on hand for your menstrual cup routine, you can always bring it into the bedroom too!

Seriously, Don’t Use the Wrong Kind of Lube!

Not all lubricants are created equal when it comes to using them with a menstrual cup. You only want to use water-based lubricants with your favorite cup, not silicone or oil-based lubes. That’s because silicone molecules interact with the soft silicone or rubber of your menstrual cup and actually break it down. In other words, silicone lube + menstrual cup = time to buy a new menstrual cup.

The Only Exception

The only exception to the no-silicone-lube rule is the MeLuna Menstrual Cup, which is made from a thermoplastic elastomer that can stand up against contact with silicone-based lubricants.

Please Don’t Use Oil-based Lubes, Either

Oil-based lubes like Vaseline, baby oil, and coconut oil also shouldn’t be used because they’re hard to flush out of your body, can cause irritation and can change vaginal chemistry, upping the risk of bacterial and yeast infections.

How to Know for Sure If It’s a Water-based Lube

The good news is that there are lots of water-based lubricants out there. You can know for sure that the lube you’re considering is safe for your menstrual cup if the product packaging says that it’s latex-condom safe (silicone also destroys latex).

Two Other Lube Ingredients to Know About

Glycerin. Glycerin is a common ingredient in water-based lubricants that can be synthetically made or naturally-derived. It’s a common ingredient in lubricants because it increases the slipperiness of the lube. It’s safe to use with rubber or silicone and won’t break down your menstrual cup. It also has a naturally sweet flavor.

Why you need to know about glycerin:

Despite all that good stuff, many women prefer to avoid glycerin in their lubes, especially if they are prone to yeast infections. Glycerin can convert to sugar inside the vagina, and naturally occurring yeast that’s always in the body will go nuts feeding on the glycerin-provided supply of sugar, multiplying out of control and causing a yeast infection. That said, this doesn’t happen to every woman.

Parabens. Parabens are added to lubricants and other personal care products to act as a preservative. Preservatives help the lubricant to discourage microbial growth. They also give the slick stuff a long shelf-life.

Why You Need to Know About Parabens:

There have been some studies that link parabens to an increased risk of cancer. Parabens may mimic hormones, like estrogen, and possibly increase the chance of breast and ovarian cancer. Parabens aren’t just found in personal lubricants, though; they’re in about 85 percent of personal care products.

Parabens are considered safe for use in the United States and Canada, however. In Europe, they’re considered safe in low amounts. It’s up to you if you are concerned about having parabens in your lubricant. Parabens have been known to cause allergic reactions, so that’s another thing to consider when selecting your lube.

Always Test First for a Possible Allergic Reaction

Always do a test patch of the product if you’re concerned that you might be sensitive to any ingredient in a personal lubricant. This video explains how.

Top 10 Water-based Lubes Reviewed

With so many water-based lubes to choose from, we’ve put together a list of our Top 10 to help you out. We’ve only included water-based lubricants that are safe to use with a menstrual cup. Some are made by huge mega-corporations, like K-Y from Durex, and others are produced by small, specialist companies, such as Nooky Lube.

What We Looked At

Personal lubricant seems to bring out the comedian in many people. It was hard to sift through the jokes to find the legitimate reviews! We dug deep to make sure we found out what real users of each water-based lubricant have to say, with a focus on the female point of view. Since all of these lubricants can be used not just for menstrual cups but also for intercourse (solo or partnered), we’ve added in some mention of that use for the lubes too. We hope you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for on this list.

If you need any more help deciding on the best lube for you, just head on over to our forum and ask!

1

Yes Lube ® Water-Base Lubricant

Is organic lube a thing? Yes, it is! Yes Organics lubricant is Certified Organic and marketed as a “natural lubricant” that feels and acts like lube that didn’t come out of a bottle, if you know what we mean. It’s pH-balanced for the vagina and is moisturizing and beneficial for the skin, thanks to the organic aloe vera inside. Other skin-nourishing and mucous-membrane-friendly goodies in Yes Organic lubricant include flax and natural plant-based gums that work together for a “velvety” lube experience.

2

K-Y Jelly ® Water-Base Lubricant

Most of the Durex-branded lubricants are made specifically for use during private fun-time and are heavy on the silicone, which isn’t suitable for use with menstrual cups. However, Durex is also the company that brings us K-Y Jelly, which is water-based and has a bit more of a clinical appearance to its packaging compared to the hot-and-heavy Durex-labeled lubes.

3

Astroglide ® Water-Base Lubricant

Astroglide is a favorite brand of personal lube that’s been around for a while. Basic Astroglide comes in a purple bottle and does contain glycerin. What’s really awesome is they sell a Travel Set, $5.95, that is seriously amazing for women who need to change out their menstrual cup on the go. You can easily keep these little sample-sized packets of Astroglide lube in your purse or pocket.

4

Sliquid ® Water-Base Lubricant

Sliquid offers a selection of personal lubricants to choose from, but we think their Organics Lube is a great choice for the readers of this site. Sliquid Organics Personal Lubricant is water-based and contains aloe, vitamin E, hibiscus extracts, flax, green tea and sunflower seed extracts, among other ingredients.

5

Nooky ® Water-Base Lubricant

Nooky Lubricant is water-based, glycerin and paraben-free and is packed with a convenient pump dispenser. The packaging is meant to be elegant and discreet so you can even leave it sitting out on your bedside table or on a bathroom shelf if you’re using for inserting your menstrual cup. Nooky Lube is a small company that only sells its product on Amazon. This lube is made in the USA.

6

Wet ® Water-Base Lubricant

Now, this is something different: Wet Personal Lubricants makes bacon flavored lube – appropriately named Boink and Oink! You can also use donut-flavored Unicorn Spit to make it easier to insert your menstrual cup. However, aside from an idea for a gag gift, you should probably pass on the bacon and doughnut flavored lube; actual users reported that it tasted awful. However, Wet Lubricants does offer some amazing products, including:Comfort Lube, Wet Organics and Wet Naturals. Customers didn’t like the “interesting” flavored lube from Wet Organics, but they really like the other offerings from this brand like the three listed above and Wet Original.

7

Passion Lubes ® Water-Base Lubricant

Like many lubes out there, Passion Natural Water-based Lubricant is designed with intercourse in mind— claiming it will give a slick and slippery feel to reduce friction and amp up the fun. However, their water-based formulation is glycerin-free and totally suitable for menstrual cup use, too.

8

Shibari ® Water-Base Lubricant

Shibari’s Personal Lubricant is ranked as a #1 best-seller in the intercourseual lubricants category on Amazon. It’s designed for use on sensitive skin and provides a “slick and intercoursey feel.” Shibari lube is fragrance-free and made to be non-irritating. The Shibari company also makes personal massagers and similar fun things.

9

Isabel Fay ® Water-Base Lubricant

This lubricant comes in a lovely bottle with a convenient pump dispenser and is made in the USA by Isabel Fay Cosmetics. This water-based lube contains all natural ingredients and is glycerin and paraben free. Women who have tried Isabel Fay Lubricant say that it’s got a thick consistency that they appreciate, and you can add water to change the thickness if you want. They describe the bottle as “adorable” and appreciate the fuss-free pump dispenser.

10

Waterglide ® Water-Base Lubricant

As the name implies, Waterglide is a water-based lube. It’s meant to be non-sticky and to feel pleasant on the skin. This is a German-made lube that bears the CE mark, indicationg that in this case, it meets established safety standards for products that come into contact with our sacred yoni, aka vaginas.

11

Slippery Stuff ® Water-Base Lubricant

Slippery Stuff Lubricant is an ultra-slick and silky lubricant that Slippery Stuff says has been recommended by physicians for 20 years. Their Gel formulation doesn’t have any glycerin or parabens. The liquid formulation does have a tiny amount of paraben in it. The company that makes Slippery Stuff, Wallace O’Farrell, offers low-cost lube samples on their website.

12

Luxxx ® Water-Base Lubricant

Luxxx Beauty personal lubricant is designed by women for women, is FDA-approved and doesn’t contain any parabens. It does, however, contain glycerin, which may or may not be an issue for you. It’s packed in a glossy black bottle with a pump dispenser that looks a lot like a salon shampoo bottle.

13

Healthy Vibes ® Water-Base Lubricant

Healthy Vibes makes big promises that its water-based lubricant will go all night without needing to be reapplied. This lube also has moisturizing properties, they say. It doesn’t contain glycerin or parabens. People who have tried Healthy Vibes Personal Lubricant say it’s a good, run-of-the-mill water-based lube. A few reviewers say it’s way too watery, though. All water-based lubes have water in them (obviously) but when there’s too much water, the water is going to evaporate fast and lead to stickiness.

14

Super Slik ® Water-Base Lubricant

This water-based lube called Super Slik is made from hypoallergenic ingredients and is a #1 best-seller on Amazon.co.uk. This is a basic, inexpensive water-based lube that contains glycerin and parabens. It’s packaged in a clear container with a white pump dispenser.

There you have it, our list of the Top 10 Water-based lubes! All of these lubes are a-ok for use with your menstrual cup and for any other situation where you need a little reduction in friction!

How to Choose a Personal Water-based Lube

Do you still need some help deciding which water-based lubricant to try? Here are a few tips to help you narrow down your choice.

Keep it simple. If you’ve never used any lubricant before, your best bet may be to keep it simple. Get something that is unflavored and unscented. Check out K-Y Jelly from Durex.

Go for aesthetics. If you’d like to keep your bottle of lube out on a bathroom shelf or bedside table, choose one of the lubes with a pretty bottle and a pump dispenser. Check out Nooky Lube.

Avoid irritants. If you’re the type of person who gets a yeast infection every time you dare to eat a piece of birthday cake, you may want to avoid lubricants that contain glycerin. Try Sliquid.

Go natural. If you like all-natural ingredients, consider a lubricant that has aloe vera and zero parabens. Try Yes Organics.

Think double duty. If you think you’d like to use your lube for other things in addition to inserting a menstrual cup, try out lubes that are also widely tried and tested for fun in the bedroom. You may also want to go for a lower price if you know you’ll be using a lot of lube on the regular. Check out Shibari Intimate Personal Lubricant.

Silicone does NOT damage latex. A lube that says it is condom-safe is NOT necessarily compatible with a menstrual cup or anything else made of silicone (e.g., the Caya diaphragm or silicone sex toys). If you don’t see the words “water-based,” find another lube.

Also, K-Y Jelly may be okay for inserting a menstrual cup, but it’s terrible as a sexual lubricant. It dries out and turns sticky in no time flat.

"Hi Emma!
First I do have to say that I can't guarantee that one or any of the cups that I suggest will work perfectly for you. Some people are lucky, have no problems with "fit" or comfortable with ..." Read More »

"I'm so glad i switched to OrganiCup. I was convinced by their youtube video on menstrual cups (they use red liquid, which is awesome), and for me it just works. Their customer support is also very hel..." Read More »

"Ok so I am very new to the whole menstrual cup thing but I’m going to be living out of the country for over a year, and tampons will be pretty hard to come by. I am 19, a virgin, have a medium to hi..." Read More »

"The diva cup moves around and I bleed all over my pants. I put it in as instructed, so in so I make sure it's open, all the way back to cover my cervical opening. And now. I'm sitting in my car on my ..." Read More »